In a joint initiative of the Rector's Office and the Dean of Extension and Culture (Proec), Unicamp promotes, between the 4th and 7th of June, the Special Permanent Forum Sustainability Challenges. Registration is now open and can be done via form.
In four days of pedagogical workshops, stands and round tables, the University will bring together experts to debate the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by the United Nations (UN). They establish, among other goals, the eradication of hunger and poverty, quality education, encouraging the use of clean energy and the search for innovation.
In total, there will be 21 tables. In 17 of them, there will be debates on topics directly linked to the challenges to be achieved by a sustainable society, in light of the Objectives. As reported by professor Roberto Donato da Silva Júnior, advisor to the Rector's Office, the tables will be made up of members of the academic community, researchers and technicians from Unicamp and participants from other universities, as well as representatives of civil society, social movements, policymakers of public policies and international agents.
“We will have a very varied composition that aims to contribute to an agenda in which Unicamp is the protagonist”, he explains. According to the advisor, the Forum aims to bring together and organize all of Unicamp's sustainability initiatives in the field of research, teaching, extension and also in the management of the university itself.
“The intention is to present Unicamp as a University that puts sustainability at the forefront”, says Donato. “We will create all institutional incentives so that these initiatives gain momentum. From there, we intend to strengthen ties with society, so that these actions can contribute to decision-making, making the University contribute to debates around sustainable development, the 17 SDGs and environmental issues in general ”, he concluded.
Marcelo da Cunha, Cabinet advisor, highlights the launch, during the Forum, of the Unicamp Sustainability Observatory, an entity that will have two aspects. One of them, the creation of a platform to access all information on sustainability available at the University. The other aims to establish a space for debate about sustainability at the University, on a regular and permanent basis. The Special Forum will be the milestone for the launch of the Observatory.
The Vice-Rector of Extension and Culture, Fernando Coelho, recalls that 2022 will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stockholm Conference, the first major meeting of heads of state organized by the UN to address issues related to environmental degradation. Furthermore, he recalls, 2022 marks 30 years since Eco 92, the Environment and Development Conference held in Rio de Janeiro. “From these two meetings, the concepts of sustainability were disseminated throughout the world”, says the dean.
Watch the promotional video for the Special Permanent Forum on Sustainability Challenges:
Discover the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by the UN:
1 - Eradication of poverty
Eradicate poverty in all forms and everywhere.
2 - Zero hunger and sustainable agriculture
Eradicate hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
3 - Health and Wellbeing
Ensure access to quality healthcare and promote well-being for everyone, at all ages.
4 - Quality education
Ensure access to inclusive, quality and equitable education, and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
5 - Gender equality
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
6 - Drinking water and sanitation
Ensure the availability and sustainable management of drinking water and sanitation for all.
7 - Clean and affordable energy
Ensure access to viable, sustainable and modern energy sources for all.
8 - Decent work and economic growth
Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
9 - Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
10 - Reduction of inequalities
Reduce inequalities within and between countries.
11 - Sustainable cities and communities
Make cities and communities more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
12 - Responsible consumption and production
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
13 - Action against global climate change
Adopt urgent measures to combat climate change and its impacts.
14 - Life in the water
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
15 - Terrestrial life
Protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse soil degradation and halt the loss of biodiversity.
16 - Peace, Justice and Effective Institutions
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
17 - Partnerships and means of implementation
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.
Source: UN (United Nations)
